Jenkins relates the exhilarating tale from the Dark Ages -- when the Angles arrived from Germany, lending their name to England -- to the modern day in this concise, very readable and illustrated history.

While wardens on the island, Philip Newell and his wife were inspired by Gaelic prayer and the poems of the 19th-century Scotsman Alexander Carmichael. To spread their appreciation for the art form, they developed this handsome book of prayers.

This richly illustrated survey brings Scottish history up to the present through its romantic figures and bloody battles. With 250 well-integrated illustrations, this revised fourth edition includes a newly added chapter on Scotland’s place in the 21st century.

The Celts, Romans, Vikings, Normans and modern immigrants all make an appearance in this Canto Classics edition of Kearney's elegant and revisionist history of not just the English but also the Scots, Welsh and Irish.

In this newly illustrated edition, John Broadley's unique tableaux-like illustrations capture the landscape, costumes and characters of the history that Hibbert's classic text (GBR02) so vividly evokes.

Ackroyd’s monumental book brings the Tudor dynasty to life, from the storied and bloodstained reign of Henry VIII to the short-lived kingship of Edward VI (The Teenage King), the brief restoration of Roman Catholicism by his half-sister Mary I (Bloody Mary) and the stable rule of Elizabeth I (The Virgin Queen).

A celebration of Britain's magnificent coast through authoritative text and oversized color photographs. Taylor not only captures the island's sheer limestone crags and rocky shores but also the coastline’s wildlife habitats, where terns and plovers bicker and wildflowers crown clifftop meadows.

Written by the keeper of manuscripts at Trinity College, this book features 110 color illustrations, including enlargements, of some of the more spectacular decorations in this most famous of medieval manuscripts.

Written when Johnson was 63 and Boswell 32 in 1773 (when they had been friends for ten years), these travel journals were the result of a three-month trip to Scotland. Johnson observed Scotland, and Boswell observed Johnson.

The much-beloved, enduring account of Morton's ramblings through the English countryside in the early days of the motorcar. Morton charmingly mixes a deep appreciation of the art, culture and history of the place with his own keen observations.

This time, the prolific writer recounts a coastal journey around the British Isles in 1982, displaying his occasional ill temper alongside his celebrated ability to combine social history with a good old-fashioned traveler's tale.

A travelogue by a British Parliamentarian that profiles standing stones, monks, flooded fields, striking mountains and, of course, Hadrian’s Wall. Stewart mingles his observations with the history of one of the world's most fought-over borders.

By foot and by VW camper van, Charlotte Higgins crosses the British landscape in search of remnants of Roman Britain, considering how the past has been remembered, forgotten, interpreted and rewritten.

Edited by the Nobel Prize-winning poet who spearheaded the Celtic Renaissance in the early 20th century, these enchanting stories introduce a cast of changelings, ghosts, mermaids, demons, saints, priests and fairies.

A fusion of myth and legend, circa A.D. 1200, by an unnamed Icelandic author. The medieval chronicle has its center of action among the Orkney Islands, describing their conquest by Norwegian kings during the Viking expansion of the ninth century.

Featuring 2,700 color photos and up-to-date information, this comprehensive identification guide depicts all avian species one is likely to see in Britain and Ireland. Designed practically, the bird book includes maps, facts and distribution figures for each species.

Arranged by species, this fully updated, jargon-free guide profiles 280 birds common in Britain and Ireland. Birding expert Mark Golley includes identification tips and details on habitat. Published in association with Wildlife Trusts.

This colorful guide highlights over 300 common species of birds against their habitats in the British and Irish countryside. Beginner and intermediate birders learn to identify birds by size, structure, shape and behavior.

This compact, illustrated guide covers the many petrels, ducks, gulls, terns and other seabirds, as well as the rich abundance of life existing under the waves, that populate the vast Atlantic region from the British Isles to Newfoundland.

A marvelous fictionalized portrait of Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of France and England successively, traveler to Constantinople, wife of a future saint, mother of Richard the Lionheart and for 15 years a prisoner of the English Crown. For young adults.

An acclaimed young-adult novel, one in a series of Young Royals, in which Henry VIII is recently dead and young Elizabeth endures the tumultuous reigns of her brother Edward and sister Mary before ascending the throne herself.

This sympathetic portrait brings to life Mary Tudor’s childhood and difficult teen years, when her beloved father, Henry VIII, spurns Mary’s mother for the bewitching Anne Boleyn -- and Mary goes from riches to rags, becoming the embittered woman who would later be known as Bloody Queen Mary. Ages 11 and up.

An interactive, illustrated biography of Darwin for kids ten and up (and their families). The book, which includes hands-on activities, covers Darwin's career from his youth to his mind-expanding voyage aboard the Beagle to the development of the theory of evolution through natural selection.

This captivating, illustrated overview of the Celts and their discovery for ages 10 and up features hundreds of color photographs, maps, glossary and interviews. It's an excellent overview of archaeology for the whole family.

This irreverent and colorful guide, part of the Lonely Planet series, offers a tongue-in-cheek look at Britain, skewed mainly at kids but with enough humor to appeal to parents (in spite of the title), the book pokes fun at mad aristocrats, ridiculous byelaws and the national obsessions with tea, soccer, pets and curries.

Beautifully illustrated with color pictures, chronological charts, royal genealogies and maps, this popular history of English politics, economics and culture from the Neolithic Age to the 1990s is an excellent travel companion.

This superb guide to London features color photography, dozens of excellent neighborhood maps and a district-by-district synopsis of the city's attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry.

Raban's eloquent, anecdotal account of a solo circumnavigation of the British Isles in a 30-foot ketch, his first experience in a boat. It's an engaging account of the experience of the sea and the people and places he encounters.

Born to a farming family in Northumberland in 1753, Bewick eventually published his own History of British Birds, the first field guide intended for a general audience. Uglow's engrossing illustrated biography includes an array of the great engraver's vignettes depicting rural life and the natural world.

EasyGuides are full of practical, easy to absorb information and emphasize authentic experiences. This lightweight guide highlights important attractions with expert advice on accommodations and meals.

An exploration in 54 maps, Haywood (Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings) charts 3,000 years of dramatic Celtic history from the Bronze Age to the Roman Empire’s failure to complete their conquest of the island to the present.

This celebrated work of WWII history follows three influential Americans who helped convince FDR to join in the British wartime cause. All three, Olson argues, (Edward Murrow, Averell Harriman and Gilbert Winant) greatly affected the course of history.

Art historian and curator Andrew Wilton presents a detailed overview of British painting from its beginnings under the influence of Holbein to the 20th century. He presents a portfolio for English painting’s contribution to the great European art tradition.

Ranging from the 15th century to the present day, the British Library’s generous selection of poems and novel excerpts evokes the spirit of London through the ages. Full-color works of art from the library's collection are interspersed throughout.

A visual feast of pure gardening inspiration. From England’s most modest herb patches to its sweeping landscape gardens -- carpets of bluebells at Emmets Garden, the wild meadows at Tyntesfield -- the National Trust offers a glorious tour.

Profiling the saints and spies, pirates and philosophers, artists and intellectuals who crossed the gray expanse stretching between Scandinavia and the British Isles, Pye illuminates the epic history of the North Sea.

A beautiful sourcebook that profiles the art of the entire Celtic world -- not just Britain, but also France, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. The collection spans the fifth century BCE to the eighth century and includes items like sculpture, manuscript, jewelry and housewares.

In this photographic tribute to each of England's 42 Anglican cathedrals (including the great UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Durham and Canterbury) award-winning photographer Peter Marlow evokes the greatness and humbling power of each magnificent building.

Subtitled "Adventures of an American in Britain," this narrative by the ever-entertaining Bill Bryson is a sequel to his hilarious travel writing classic Notes from a Small Island (GBR16). A recently anointed British citizen, Bryson celebrates his new status by exploring the island once more, taking in new sites and revisiting some old favorites in this homage to England and all its marvelous eccentricity.

This short piece of scholarship discusses how English gardens are not merely beautiful, but represent lifestyle, money and class. The narrative ushers readers from the walled-off secret gardens of the 1500s to the present day, when gardening is a common pastime.